Property Division in Divorce: Commingling and Tracing

The terms "commingling" and "tracing" are related concepts in the identification and division of property in divorce proceedings. Commingling occurs when a spouse or both spouses treat separate property in such a way that it loses its separate property character. Common ways for that to happen is for a spouse to use his or her separate property to pay marital debts, purchase marital property, collateralize a marital debt, or allow the other spouse to use the property as if it is marital property.

Divorce involving a member of the U.S. military

Military divorce involves a member of the uniformed services and his or her spouse, who may or may not be in the services. Even though military divorce may be similar to a usual divorce, there are a few differences, such as legal protections, jurisdiction of court, residency requirements for filing for divorce, division of military retirement benefits or pension, and provision for child support. A service member facing a divorce should be aware of the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act of 2003 and the Uniform Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA).

Fault-based Divorce: Bigamy

Bigamy is a criminal offense. It is the act of entering into a second marriage willfully and knowingly during the existence of the valid bond of a first marriage. Some states consider bigamy as a ground for fault-based divorce.

Defenses in Fault-based Divorce: Recrimination

Recrimination is a traditional equitable defense to fault-based divorce actions and is based on the principle that a person seeking justice must come to court with clean hands. It seeks to avoid divorce on the ground that the petitioner has engaged in conduct that would entitle the respondent spouse to a divorce. For example, if a wife files for divorce on the ground of her husband's cruelty and if she herself is guilty of committing cruelty against her husband, then the recrimination defense would act to prevent dissolution on the ground of the husband's cruelty.

Uncontested Divorce Actions

In general, uncontested divorce actions occur when either of the spouses does not appear in court in a divorce proceeding or when both the spouses mutually agree upon a divorce and on matters relating to financial settlements, custody, and/or support of their minor children. Typically, that mutual agreement is shown in the divorce petition, and it may include a waiver of service. Uncontested actions may arise in proceedings for dissolution of marriage, annulment, and separation.